Conflicted Identity: South Asian British Youth

Young South Asian men growing up in Britain today live dramatically different lives from their parents and grandparents; post-war South Asian migrants came to Britain to seek better economic opportunities, to escape civil war and conflict, and to join already settled family. They faced significant discrimination, but also struggled for workers’ rights and civil rights, contributing significantly to the political, cultural, economic and social life of the country.

Globalisation and the decline of the Commonwealth mean that Britain is no longer the ‘land of opportunity’ it seemed to be 70 years ago. The background noise of global news, entertainment, and social networks mean that South Asian young men growing up in the country today face very different challenges to those of their older relatives. How do the new generations reconcile their parents’ heritage with their own experience?

About The Speakers

Imran Hussain

Imran Hussain is the Member of Parliament for Bradford East and recently assumed the office of Shadow Minister of State for International Development. Born and raised in Bradford, he attended local state funded schools and as a teenager worked sweeping floors and stacking shelves. He was the first in his family to attend university and went on to qualify as a barrister.

Hussein Kesvani

Hussein Kesvani is a journalist and the UK/Europe editor of MEL magazine. His work has also been published in the Guardian, BuzzFeed and many others. He is the author of ‘Follow me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims’ due to be released in May 2019.

Madani Younis

Madani Younis was born and raised in London. He studied film at Southampton University and in 2007 set up his own theatre company Freedom Studios in Bradford. He has worked in theatres across the world and is currently the creative director of the Southbank Centre, the UK’s largest arts centre.